Inlaid linoleum and process



Patented Got. 31, 1933 Emerson it.

Newell, Greenwich, Conn; Roger Sherman Baldwin and Ella Sealy Newell execs utors of the estate of said Emerson R. Newell, deceased, assignors to Sloane-.Blabon Corpora-. tion, a corporation of Delaware Application December 19, 1330 Serial No. 503,424

.:5 Claims. (01. 154-..-.-26)' out in the .Humphreys 8;McCarthy Patent No. 1,630,085. The loose granules of the inlays readily move sidewise in the initial compactionand Myv invention relates to a sheet of inlaid linoleum or similar tesserae and a process of producing it, and my object is to obtain an improved product. Two methods of producing inlaid linoleum have been well known and practiced for many years, the moulded and the straight line. In the moulded, granulated linoleum is deposited on a'burlap backing in the various colors and inlay shapes desired and then compressed in a fiat-faced heated press, with an intervening oiled paper'sheet to prevent adhesion of the mix to the press, which, consolidates and compacts the deposited linoleum into a homogenous sheet. The granules at the edges of the various inlays are readily pushed sidewise'by the pressure and interlace with those at the edges of the adjacent inlays, and so form ragged lines of division between inlays which are unavoidable in and characteristic of the product of the moulded process.

The straight line method as heretofore practiced for at least 50 years consists in cutting the desired inlays out of already-compacted sheets of equal thickness, assembling them into the desired pattern on a burlap or other backing with their vertical edges closely adjacent, and then by a similar press further compacting the sheet and, I through the slight lateral expansion of the material due to pressure, causing the vertical faces to stick together. The lines of division between the inlays, as viewed in the completed sheet, are clearly defined,-as distinguished from the characteristic ragged-edge appearance of the product of the moulded method-and are therefore termed straight line, whether the lines of division are actually straight or not.

The moulded method is somewhat cheaper but is objectionable to the buying public because of the ragged edges of the inlays, which look like poor workmanship. The straight line inlay is more desired because of the clearly-defined outlines.

An inlaid linoleum in which some of the inlays are in relief is also at present popular with the pub1ic,,such as imitations of the so-called Dutch tiling, brick or other tile floors laid by hand. In such floors laid with pottery orother tiling, the intervening mortar joints are narrow and somewhat scooped out by the workmen so that the tiles are more or less in relief. In making a linoleum imitation of such flooring it is a simple matter to indent the mortar-representing inlays of a sheet made by the moulded process, by suitably rounded ribs on the face of a secondpress, after the sheet has been consolidated, as pointed interlace at t one inlay into heir edges, dovetailing as it were, the next. When the consolidation occurs this results in a strong joint, and consequently the pressure given by the ribs in indenting the narrow mortar-representing inlays will not break one inlay away from the adjacent ones. The objectionable ragged edge, is however still present and cannot be concealed. It is also impracticalto make very narrow mortar-repree senting inlays by the moulded method, but this does not hold true for the straight-line method.

Theoretically it seems a simple matter similarly to indent the old vertical-joint straight line inlaid sheet, and attempts have been made to do it successfully, but this has not proved feasible in commercial practice. It is easy enough to indent the sheet; but the result is surprisingly disappointing, for the joints between the inlays are weakened and the inlays break apart. One

reason for this is because the joints between the inlays have been substantially vertical, as the knives which cut them out of the sheet'act in planes perpendicular to that of the sheet. As the inlays are already compacted and so are only slightly malleable and the consolidating press sure tending acts in line with the plane of the joint, the presto stick one inlay to the next is only that comparatively slight resultant pressure transmitted laterally by the slight sidewise expansion .of the inlays. The joints of the flat sheet are therefore weak. Various otherconditions contribute to or accentuate this defect.

' The consequence of this imperfect welding of the joints is that when the narrow ribs of the indentmortar, (the tive, even if Split joints ar water, and dirt enter and cause the inlay to rate, from the ing press depress the inlays representing the vertical joints between the inlays hen the sheet is rolled up for ship this has not previously occurred. e fatal to the life of the flooring, for

sepabacking.

In short, the joints of the old straight-lineinlay were weak. It, further, has been found not feasible successfully to indent thisin order to obtain tiles in relief with; respect to narrow morgoods. 7

' Various pro posals have been made for obtaining relief patterns with straight line clearlydefined edges. Patents No. 1,774,736 and No. 1,752,402 disclose two ways of accomplishing this result with the straight-line inlays without indenting the mortar-representing inlays.

By my invention I am able to produce a straight line inlay with joints much stronger than in the old straight-line process; and this may be successfully indented if desired, so producing an inlaid sheet having the desired characteristics of inlays with straight line edges and indented intervening inlays.

I am aware that my process may be carried out in various ways and by a variety of mechanisms. The steps and the product described in detail below are the ones now preferred by me.

In the drawing which represents merely an illustrative embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a portion of an assembled sheet before the consolidating pressure is applied;

Figure 2 is the same after that pressure;

Figure 3 is a section after the indenting step, if such is employed; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section.

I first cut out of already-compacted but still somewhat soft sheets of linoleum of the desired colors tesserae (inlays) of the desired shapes; but instead of leaving the margins with vertical edges as was usual heretofore, I form an inclined face on each margin, so that the margins of adjacent inlays have complementary faces which may be overlapped to form a substantially flat sheet as indicated in Fig. 1. For example 1 is the usual burlap backing, 2, 3 and 6 are inlays representing tiles for example, and 4 is an inlay representing a narrow mortar joint between the tiles 2 and 3. The margin of inlay 2 has the inclined face 5 and the adjacent margin of inlay 4 has the inclined face 6. These faces are inclined in oposite directions and are complementary to, and preferably fit, each other. The left margin of inlay 3 has a face 7 which is similarly complementary to the face 8 of inlay 4. The overlapped faces 1213 and 1415 of the inlays 3, 5, 6 are also complementary.

All the margins of all adjacent inlays are similarly formed with overlapped complementary faces. The inclined faces are preferably smooth. and the inclines (shown as about may of course be of various other shapes and angles.

The sheet is then put into the usual consolidating press having a flat heated contacting face, ordinarily with an interposed oiled paper sheet, and the inlays subjected to heavy pressure. This holds all the inlays fiat and drives the overlapping faces together and forms a flat sheet with each inlay much more securely surface-welded to the next one than would be possible if the abutting faces were vertical. Due to the inclination of the faces, the surfaces to be welded are much greater in area than would be the case with vertical joints; also the resultant welding pressure is greater because it is more clearly perpendicular to the plane of the joint and does not depend on the lateral expansion of the material. The flatter the incline of the faces is, the more secure is the weld for both the above reasons. The welded product is indicated in Fig. 2.

The assembled sheet ideally shown in Fig. 1, has a substantially flat upper surface and, as the face of the consolidating press is also preferably fiat, the sheet is compacted as a whole and each inlay receives substantially the same pressure per square inch and therefore the same compaction,

which results in substantially the same density of the inlays. As the press contacts with the entire exposed area of all the inlays it holds them in place. The result is that there is substantially no such sidewise bulging of the margins as would be the case if the tile-representing inlays were intentionally made considerably thicker and higher than the intervening ones as in Patent No. 1,774,- 736 above mentioned. Even if there is any spreading from one cause or another it is slight, the margins still retain clearly-defined edges, and any such resulting slightirregularity of outline tends more nearly. to simulate the slight irregularity of outline of actual tiles. Also the extreme edges which contact with the consolidating press are more securely welded because the heat quickly penetrates them and a greater area of joint surface is softened than would be the case under like conditions if the joints were vertical.

The joints of the welded sheet are considerably stronger than those of the old straight-line inlays with vertical joints.

The mortar-representing inlays may if desired then be embossed by the usual narrow rounded ribs on a second press. The resulting product is illustrated in Fig. 3. The consolidation and indentation may be carried out on the same press in one step, but this is not so desirable as it imports some difficulties not necessary to be here discussed.

The finished sheet should of course be cured in the usual way by drying for several weeks.

If the ribs on the indenting press are somewhat wider than the exposed faces of the narrow inlays they will extend somewhat over the extreme edges of the adjacent inlays 2 and 3 and give a further pressure on and weld of the thin edges, and may even turn them down somewhat, as indicated at 12 in Fig. 4. 10 indicates the edge forming a clearly-defined line of division between inlays and located on the slope of the indentation. It is one which has some slight irregularity from a straight line. Both these features more nearly simulate the rounded and slightly irregular but still clearly-defined outline of a pottery tile for example. i

I am aware that various modifications of the steps and product above described may be made without departing from the invention as claimed. I therefore do not limit myself to the embodiments herein specifically set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. The process of producing a sheet of linoleum or similar inlays which comprises taking alreadycompacted but still somewhat malleable inlays having inclined faces with clearly-defined edges,as compared with those of moulded inlays,and arranging them into a pattern with their complementary faces overlapping, and applying sumcient downward pressure to the upper exposed faces of all the inlays, including the margins of the overlapping faces during the compaction, to surface-weld the overlapped faces.

2. The process set forth in the preceding claim,

plus depressing substantially the entire exposed areas of some of the intervening inlays, thereby leaving the others in relief.

3. The process set forth in claim 1, plus the preliminary step of cutting the inlays out of already-compacted sheets and forming thereon iniOO inlays and prevents substantial lateral bulging ing overlapping oppositely inclined faces with clearly-defined edges, and surface-welding the overlapping faces by means of a press which exerts pressure upon the exposed faces of all the of their margins over the exposed faces. 

